Writing Contest for Young Authors

 

“Believe it or not, the most important tip I can give you is making your story entertaining. We must read hundreds of stories, and we love reading something fun and creative,” said Dent. Dent went on to explain that every story needs details with cohesive thoughts, a good hook, plot and characters that are fully developed. Grammer doesn’t have to be perfect but having another person like your teacher or parent edit your story is recommended. “Can you use Chat GPT to help you write your story?” asked one of my classmates. “No, we will start to use a tool to detect if stories are written using AI.” Dent went on to explain that the story must be fiction and not sad. “Can the story be about something scary?” asked another classmate. “No scary stories, essays or opinion pieces. If you are wondering what to write about, use your dreams. Dreams can become good creative stories,” replied Dent. Dent and Banwell’s final writing tip was to have a beginning, middle and end to your story with colorful language and make sure you wind things up and everything ends well.  

 

Submitted stories must be 1,000 words or less and no summaries. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade can submit a story. Kindergarteners can tell their parents the story and parents can write it for them. All stories must be accompanied by an entry form found at any public library in Pima County. Stories must be typed or written legibly. Two contests are held every year, one in the summer and one in the winter. Stories are judged based on your grade level. If you have any questions, please email: [email protected]. 

 

Winning entries will be published in an anthology, with a copy donated to each school's library. “I have to get started!” exclaimed Sophia Hadeed, a fifth grader at Immaculate Heart School. “I would love to be published!” 

 

List of 2025 winners: